How to make Sheng Jian Bao

Sheng Jian Bao

Ingredients

Dough: 250 g plain flour 125 g warm water ½ tsp instant dried yeast 2 tsp sugar 1 tsp vegetable oil

Filling: 250 g minced beef 50 g spring onion, washed and finely sliced 30 g ginger, washed and finely chopped

Marinade: 1 tbsp light soy sauce ½ tsp dark soy sauce 1 tbsp Chinese Shaoxing wine ½ tsp sugar 1 tsp cornflour 2 tsp water Salt and pepper

Method

1. Prepare the marinade by combining all of the ingredients in a bowl and mixing.

2. Next, prepare the filling. Mix your minced beef, marinade, spring onions and ginger together. Leave the mixture in the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes.

3. Pour the water into a large, deep dish, add the yeast and mix. Then add sugar, salt and oil. Finally, sift in the flour and mix the ingredients together. Use your hands to bring the mixture together until it forms a sticky dough, then turn it out onto a clean surface and knead until the dough becomes elastic.

4. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled pan, cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 20 minutes.

5. On a clean surface, roll the dough into a long strip. Divide into 8 to 10 equally sized pieces. Shape each small piece of dough into a ball and flatten it. Spoon a small amount of filling into the centre of each one. Then, seal the buns by creating 10 to 12 small folds at the top of each one. Leave the buns at room temperature to ferment for 10 minutes.

6. Heat a non-stick frying pan, add a little oil and carefully place the buns in the pan. If your pan isn’t big enough to fry all the buns at once, you can fry them in batches.

7. Fry the buns on a medium to high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Then, pour a bowl of cold water into the pan and cover it until all of the water is completely absorbed. The bottom of the buns should be golden yellow.

Enjoy!

Discover more delicious Shanghainese dishes at the Dream of Shanghai Supper Club with Jason Li in the Village.